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<tr class="t-nv"><td colspan="5"> <a href="initialization.html#Explicit_initialization" title="c/language/initialization"> Explicit initialization</a> </td></tr>
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<p>A <a href="declarations.html" title="c/language/declarations">declaration</a> of an object may provide its initial value through the process known as <i>initialization</i>.
</p><p>For each <a href="declarations.html" title="c/language/declarations">declarator</a>, the initializer, if not omitted, may be one of the following:
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <code><b>=</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span>
</td>
<td> (1)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <code><b>=</b></code> <code><b>{</b></code> <span class="t-spar">initializer-list</span> <code><b>}</b></code>
</td>
<td> (2)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <code><b>=</b></code> <code><b>{</b></code> <code><b>}</b></code>
</td>
<td> (3)
</td>
<td> <span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span>
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
<p>where <span class="t-spar">initializer-list</span> is a non-empty comma-separated list of <span class="t-spar">initializer</span>s (with an optional trailing comma), where each initializer has one of three possible forms:
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">expression</span>
</td>
<td> (1)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <code><b>{</b></code> <span class="t-spar">initializer-list</span> <code><b>}</b></code>
</td>
<td> (2)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <code><b>{</b></code> <code><b>}</b></code>
</td>
<td> (3)
</td>
<td> <span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span>
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">designator-list</span> <code><b>=</b></code> <span class="t-spar">initializer</span>
</td>
<td> (4)
</td>
<td> <span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c99">(since C99)</span>
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
 <table class="t-rev-begin">
<tr class="t-rev t-since-c99"><td>
<p>where <span class="t-spar">designator-list</span> is a list of either array designators of the form <code><b>[</b></code> <span class="t-spar">constant-expression</span> <code><b>]</b></code> or struct/union member designators of the form <code><b>.</b></code> <span class="t-spar">identifier</span>; see 
<a href="array_initialization.html" title="c/language/array initialization">array initialization</a> and <a href="struct_initialization.html" title="c/language/struct initialization">struct initialization</a>.
</p><p>Note: besides initializers, brace-enclosed <span class="t-spar">initializer-list</span> may appear in <a href="compound_literal.html" title="c/language/compound literal">compound literals</a>, which are expressions of the form:
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <code><b>(</b></code> <span class="t-spar">type</span> <code><b>)</b></code> <code><b>{</b></code> <span class="t-spar">initializer-list</span> <code><b>}</b></code>
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td>
<td> 
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <code><b>(</b></code> <span class="t-spar">type</span> <code><b>)</b></code> <code><b>{</b></code> <code><b>}</b></code>
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td>
<td> <span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span>
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
</td>
<td><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c99">(since C99)</span></td></tr>
</table>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Explanation">Explanation</span></h3>
<p>The initializer specifies the initial value stored in an object.
</p>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Explicit_initialization">Explicit initialization</span></h4>
<p>If an initializer is provided, see
</p>
<ul><li> <a href="scalar_initialization.html" title="c/language/scalar initialization">scalar initialization</a> for the initialization of scalar types
</li><li> <a href="array_initialization.html" title="c/language/array initialization">array initialization</a> for the initialization of array types
</li><li> <a href="struct_initialization.html" title="c/language/struct initialization">struct initialization</a> for the initialization of struct and union types.
</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Implicit_initialization">Implicit initialization</span></h4>
<p>If an initializer is not provided:
</p>
<ul><li> objects with automatic <a href="storage_duration.html" title="c/language/storage duration">storage duration</a> are initialized to indeterminate values (which may be <a href="object.html" title="c/language/object">trap representations</a>)
</li><li> objects with static and thread-local <a href="storage_duration.html" title="c/language/storage duration">storage duration</a> are empty-initialized
</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Empty_initialization">Empty initialization</span></h4>
 <table class="t-rev-begin">
<tr class="t-rev t-since-c23"><td>
<p>An object is empty-initialized if it is explicitly initialized from initializer <span class="t-c"><span class="mw-geshi c source-c"><span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="br0">{</span><span class="br0">}</span></span></span>.
</p>
</td>
<td><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span></td></tr>
</table>
<p>In some cases, an object is empty-initialized if it is not initialized explicitly, that is:
</p>
<ul><li> pointers are initialized to null pointer values of their types
</li><li> objects of integral types are initialized to unsigned zero
</li><li> objects of floating types are initialized to positive zero
</li><li> all elements of arrays, all members of structs, and the first members of unions are empty-initialized, recursively, plus all padding bits are initialized to zero
</li></ul>
<dl><dd>(on platforms where null pointer values and floating zeroes have all-bit-zero representations, this form of initialization for statics is normally implemented by allocating them in the .bss section of the program image)
</dd></dl>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Notes">Notes</span></h3>
<p>When initializing an object of static or thread-local <a href="storage_duration.html" title="c/language/storage duration">storage duration</a>, every <span class="t-spar">expression</span> in the initializer must be a <a href="constant_expression.html" title="c/language/constant expression">constant expression</a> or <a href="string_literal.html" title="c/language/string literal">string literal</a>.
</p><p>Initializers cannot be used in declarations of objects of incomplete type, VLAs, and block-scope objects with linkage.
</p><p>The initial values of function parameters are established as if by assignment from the arguments of a <a href="operator_other.html#Function_call" title="c/language/operator other">function call</a>, rather than by initialization.
</p><p>If an indeterminate value is used as an argument to any standard library call, the behavior is undefined. Otherwise, the result of any expression involving indeterminate values is an indeterminate value (e.g. <span class="t-c"><span class="mw-geshi c source-c"><span class="kw4">int</span> n<span class="sy4">;</span></span></span>, <span class="t-c"><span class="mw-geshi c source-c">n</span></span> may not compare equal to itself and it may appear to change its value on subsequent reads)
</p>
 <table class="t-rev-begin">
<tr class="t-rev t-until-c23"><td>
<p>There is no special construct in C corresponding to <a href="../../cpp/language/value_initialization.html" title="cpp/language/value initialization">value initialization</a> in C++; however, <span class="t-c"><span class="mw-geshi c source-c"><span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="br0">{</span><span class="nu0">0</span><span class="br0">}</span></span></span><span class="t-rev-inl t-since-c99"><span> (or <span class="t-c"><span class="mw-geshi c source-c"><span class="br0">(</span>T<span class="br0">)</span><span class="br0">{</span><span class="nu0">0</span><span class="br0">}</span></span></span> in compound literals)</span> <span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c99">(since C99)</span></span></span> can be used instead, as the C standard does not allow empty structs, empty unions, or arrays of zero length.
</p>
</td>
<td><span class="t-mark-rev t-until-c23">(until C23)</span></td></tr>
<tr class="t-rev t-since-c23"><td>
<p>The empty initializer <span class="t-c"><span class="mw-geshi c source-c"><span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="br0">{</span><span class="br0">}</span></span></span> (or <span class="t-c"><span class="mw-geshi c source-c"><span class="br0">(</span>T<span class="br0">)</span><span class="br0">{</span><span class="br0">}</span></span></span> in compound literals) can be used to achieve the same semantics as <a href="../../cpp/language/value_initialization.html" title="cpp/language/value initialization">value initialization</a> in C++.
</p>
</td>
<td><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span></td></tr>
</table>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Example">Example</span></h3>
<div class="t-example"><div class="t-example-live-link"><div class="coliru-btn coliru-btn-run-init">Run this code</div></div>
<div dir="ltr" class="mw-geshi" style="text-align: left;"><div class="c source-c"><pre class="de1"><span class="co2">#include &lt;stdlib.h&gt;</span>
<span class="kw4">int</span> a<span class="br0">[</span><span class="nu0">2</span><span class="br0">]</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// initializes a to {0, 0}</span>
<span class="kw4">int</span> main<span class="br0">(</span><span class="kw4">void</span><span class="br0">)</span>
<span class="br0">{</span>
    <span class="kw4">int</span> i<span class="sy4">;</span>          <span class="co1">// initializes i to an indeterminate value</span>
    <span class="kw4">static</span> <span class="kw4">int</span> j<span class="sy4">;</span>   <span class="co1">// initializes j to 0</span>
    <span class="kw4">int</span> k <span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="nu0">1</span><span class="sy4">;</span>      <span class="co1">// initializes k to 1</span>
 
    <span class="co1">// initializes int x[3] to 1,3,5</span>
    <span class="co1">// initializes int* p to &amp;x[0]</span>
    <span class="kw4">int</span> x<span class="br0">[</span><span class="br0">]</span> <span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="br0">{</span> <span class="nu0">1</span>, <span class="nu0">3</span>, <span class="nu0">5</span> <span class="br0">}</span>, <span class="sy2">*</span>p <span class="sy1">=</span> x<span class="sy4">;</span>
 
    <span class="co1">// initializes w (an array of two structs) to</span>
    <span class="co1">// { { {1,0,0}, 0}, { {2,0,0}, 0} }</span>
    <span class="kw1">struct</span> <span class="br0">{</span><span class="kw4">int</span> a<span class="br0">[</span><span class="nu0">3</span><span class="br0">]</span>, b<span class="sy4">;</span><span class="br0">}</span> w<span class="br0">[</span><span class="br0">]</span> <span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="br0">{</span><span class="br0">[</span><span class="nu0">0</span><span class="br0">]</span>.<span class="me1">a</span> <span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="br0">{</span><span class="nu0">1</span><span class="br0">}</span>, <span class="br0">[</span><span class="nu0">1</span><span class="br0">]</span>.<span class="me1">a</span><span class="br0">[</span><span class="nu0">0</span><span class="br0">]</span> <span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="nu0">2</span><span class="br0">}</span><span class="sy4">;</span>
 
    <span class="co1">// function call expression can be used for a local variable</span>
    <span class="kw4">char</span><span class="sy2">*</span> ptr <span class="sy1">=</span> <a href="../memory/malloc.html"><span class="kw403">malloc</span></a><span class="br0">(</span><span class="nu0">10</span><span class="br0">)</span><span class="sy4">;</span>
    <a href="../memory/free.html"><span class="kw406">free</span></a><span class="br0">(</span>ptr<span class="br0">)</span><span class="sy4">;</span>
 
<span class="co1">//  Error: objects with static storage duration require constant initializers</span>
<span class="co1">//  static char* ptr = malloc(10);</span>
 
<span class="co1">//  Error: VLA cannot be initialized</span>
<span class="co1">//  int vla[n] = {0};</span>
<span class="br0">}</span></pre></div></div>
</div>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span></h3>
<div class="t-ref-std-17">
<ul><li> C17 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2018): 
</li></ul>
<dl><dd><ul><li> 6.7.9 Initialization (p: 100-105)
</li></ul>
</dd></dl>
</div>
<div class="t-ref-std-11">
<ul><li> C11 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2011): 
</li></ul>
<dl><dd><ul><li> 6.7.9 Initialization (p: 139-144)
</li></ul>
</dd></dl>
</div>
<div class="t-ref-std-c99">
<ul><li> C99 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1999): 
</li></ul>
<dl><dd><ul><li> 6.7.8 Initialization (p: 125-130)
</li></ul>
</dd></dl>
</div>
<div class="t-ref-std-c89">
<ul><li> C89/C90 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1990): 
</li></ul>
<dl><dd><ul><li> 6.5.7 Initialization 
</li></ul>
</dd></dl>
</div>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span></h3>
<table class="t-dsc-begin">

</table>

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